A high-performance sports car having: a chassis; a bottom facing a ground on which the sports car moves; four wheels supported by the chassis; four suspensions, each of which connects a corresponding wheel to the chassis, has a variable geometry, and is equipped with at least one actuator device adapted to modify the geometry of the suspensions; and a body which covers the chassis and is equipped with four wheel arches, each of which surrounds a corresponding wheel at the top. The chassis is provided inferiorly with a plurality of support feet which are adapted to rest on the ground to support the weight of the sports car. The actuator devices are configured to lift, only when the sports car is parked, the wheels upwards with respect to the chassis changing the geometry of the suspensions up to rest on the ground the support feet i.e. until the wheels detach from the ground.

A high-performance sports car having: a chassis; a bottom facing a ground on which the sports car moves; four wheels supported by the chassis; four suspensions, each of which connects a corresponding wheel to the chassis, has a variable geometry, and is equipped with at least one actuator device adapted to modify the geometry of the suspensions; and a body which covers the chassis and is equipped with four wheel arches, each of which surrounds a corresponding wheel at the top. The chassis is provided inferiorly with a plurality of support feet which are adapted to rest on the ground to support the weight of the sports car. The actuator devices are configured to lift, only when the sports car is parked, the wheels upwards with respect to the chassis changing the geometry of the suspensions up to rest on the ground the support feet i.e. until the wheels detach from the ground.

A towable vehicle including a chassis, at least two wheels and a suspension assembly supporting each wheel. The suspension assembly includes a swing arm pivotally mounted to the chassis, an axle mounted proximate an end of the swing arm, the wheel being mounted on the axle, at least one shock absorber extending from the chassis to the swing arm, an airbag swing arm mounting pivotally coupled to the swing arm, an airbag chassis mounting coupled to the chassis, an airbag coupled to the airbag swing arm and airbag chassis mountings so that inflation of the airbag allows a suspension height to be adjusted over an operating range and a pivot arm pivotally mounted to the chassis and the airbag swing arm mounting to maintain an orientation of the airbag swing arm mounting over the operating range.

A method for coupling a semi-trailer with a top plate to a truck tractor with a coupling plate includes: importing a reference height profile assigning a reference gradient to different actual values for the relative height of the chassis to the rear axle of the truck-tractor; changing the relative height such that the coupling plate approaches the top plate; continuously determining actual height values and height gradients while changing the relative height, wherein an actual height value is assigned the currently determined actual height gradient; checking a coupling criterion by comparing a currently determined actual height gradient with the reference gradient, wherein the reference gradient which in the imported reference height profile is assigned to the same actual height value as the currently determined actual height gradient is applied; and, maintaining the relative height when the currently determined actual height gradient deviates from the reference gradient.

Motion can be induced at a vehicle, e.g., by actuating components of an active suspension system, and first sensor data and second sensor data representing an environment of the vehicle can be captured at a first position and a second position, respectively, resulting from the induced motion. A second sensor can determine motion information associated with the first position and the second position. Calibration information about the sensor, the first sensor data, and the motion information can be used to determine an expectation of sensor data at the second position. A calibration error can be the difference between the second sensor data and the expected sensor data.

An active-passive dual mode switchable vehicle suspension system is provided. The suspension system includes a filter, a hydraulic pump, a one-way valve, a power takeoff, a servo valve, a suspension cylinder, an overflow valve, an energy accumulator, a reversing valve, a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, a controller, an oil tank and a displacement sensor. Further related is a switching method for the active-passive dual mode switchable vehicle suspension system. When the active and passive dual-mode switchable vehicle suspension system is switched between modes, an oil pressure in the rodless cavity of the suspension cylinder and an oil pressure in the energy accumulator are adjusted to be equal in advance, so that the stable switching of the active-passive suspension system can be realized, and the vibration of the vehicle body is eliminated when the existing active-passive suspension system is switched. Moreover, the accumulator and overflow valve can be shared in the active and passive suspension mode, thereby effectively reducing the use number of accumulators and overflow valves, greatly saving the layout space of the vehicle body, effectively reducing the total weight of the vehicle body, which is favorable to the lightweight of the vehicle chassis.

A vehicle with suspension-controlled motion resistance members is provided. The vehicle includes a body and a chassis coupled to a base of the body. The vehicle further includes a motion resistance member that is coupled to a base surface of the chassis, a wheel assembly coupled to the chassis, and a suspension unit coupled to the wheel assembly and the chassis. In an actuated state, the suspension unit is configured to move the chassis in a first direction until at least a portion of the motion resistance member contacts a ground below the base surface of the chassis.

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.

Methods and apparatus to determine vehicle weight are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a suspension airbag, a pump fluidly coupled to the suspension airbag, the pump to control a fluid pressure in the suspension airbag to cause ride height adjustments for a vehicle, a motor operatively coupled to the pump, and processor circuitry to calculate a weight of the vehicle based on an offset between (a) a first motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is unloaded and (b) a second motor input that causes the vehicle to rise or lower when the vehicle is carrying a load.

A bed truck having multiple axles has a hydraulic suspension including multiple hydraulic cylinders for each axle, a ride height sensor associated with each hydraulic cylinder, a high pressure hydraulic circuit connecting each of the cylinders and accumulators to a hydraulic pressure source, a low pressure hydraulic circuit connecting each of the cylinders to a fluid tank, and a plurality of valves operable to isolate operation of any one hydraulic cylinder from some or all of the other hydraulic cylinders. A control system is operable to control each of the hydraulic cylinders, either independently of all the other hydraulic cylinders, or in concert with one or more other hydraulic cylinders, such control including locking any one or more of the hydraulic cylinders at a minimum ride height position.